PFAS Action Act of 2019
Latest action. Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.
PFAS Action Act of 2019
This bill revises several environmental laws and requires the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to regulate perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, commonly referred to as PFAS. These substances are man-made and may have adverse human health effects. A variety of products contain the compounds, such as nonstick cookware or weatherproof clothing.
(Sec. 2) The bill designates certain PFAS as hazardous substances, thereby requiring remediation of releases of those PFAS into the environment. Within five years, the EPA must determine whether the remaining PFAS should be designated as hazardous substances, individually or in groups.
The bill exempts public agencies or private owners of public airports that receive federal funding from liability for remediation of certain releases of PFAS into the environment resulting from the use of aqueous film forming foam.
(Sec. 3) The EPA must require that comprehensive toxicity testing be conducted on all PFAS. These rules shall require the development of information by any person who manufactures, processes, or intends to manufacture or process PFAS. The bill also provides guidelines for the development of these rules, including the methodologies and protocols to be used.
The bill revises when any PFAS may be exempt from testing or information submission and requires the EPA to publish a list of all exempt PFAS.
(Sec. 4) Currently, unless requirements for an exemption are met, persons planning to manufacture a chemical substance not listed on the EPA’s inventory list or manufacture or process a chemical substance for a significant new use must comply with certain notification requirements. The bill prohibits PFAS from being exempted from these requirements.
For five years, the EPA shall prohibit the manufacture, processing, and distribution of PFAS not listed on the EPA’s inventory list or the manufacture or processing of PFAS for a significant new use.
(Sec. 5) The bill requires the EPA to promulgate a national primary drinking water regulation for certain PFAS.
The EPA must publish a health advisory for PFAS not subject to a national primary drinking water regulation.
The summary continues for 14 more paragraphs. Read it in full on Congress.gov
Written by analysts at the Congressional Research Service and published on Congress.gov, not by Civibrief. Summarized at the "Passed House" stage on January 10, 2020. It describes the bill, it is not the legal text.
Where is it in the process, and what happens next?
4 steps remain before this bill could become law.
The record's latest action, on January 13, 2020: Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.
- Clearing the committees it was referred to, and being scheduled for a floor vote
- Passage by the House
- Passage by the Senate
- The President's signature. If the President vetoes it, two-thirds of both chambers must vote to override.
How likely is it to become law?
Civibrief does not forecast outcomes and this page has no opinion about this one. What the record supports is a base rate, which is a fact about the whole pile, not a prediction about this measure.
In the 116th Congress (2019-20), 344 of the 14,345 bills and joint resolutions introduced became law, about 2.4 percent. That count covers every measure at every stage, including the many that never left committee.
This one is not there yet: 4 steps are still outstanding, listed above.
Has anyone actually voted on it?
No. No roll call in this Congress cites this measure. That is the ordinary outcome: most measures never reach a recorded floor vote, and a committee ends most of them simply by not acting.
A vote is not the only thing that happens to a measure. Hearings, markups, and referrals are all recorded actions, and none of them is a vote of the full chamber.
Who is behind it?
Debbie Dingell (D-MI) introduced it on January 14, 2019, and 66 members have since signed on as cosponsors.
They come from both major parties: 62 Democrats, 4 Republicans.
Cosponsoring is a formal signature on the text. It is not a commitment to vote for the measure, it does not bind anyone's party, and a long list of cosponsors is a measure of attention rather than of prospects.
How long has it been in play?
It was introduced on January 14, 2019, 2796 days ago. The most recent recorded action was 2432 days ago, on January 13, 2020.
Measures do not carry over. Anything the 116th Congress has not finished by January 3, 2021 dies when the term ends, and has to be introduced again from the start in the next Congress.
Every answer above is assembled from this measure's own record on Congress.gov and from published counts of what Congress has passed before. Civibrief does not predict outcomes and takes no position on any measure.
Vote history
- HouseIn committee, no floor vote yet
- SenateAwaits House passage
- PresidentAwaits both chambers